


The One Thing Worse Than My Nightmares

by Ike



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: (Including the author), Allura and Lance are Latias and Latios' human formes, Alternate Universe - Pokemon Fusion, Alternative Lore, Angst with a Happy Ending, Everyone is (not so) secretly in love with Shiro, First Kiss, Gay Disaster Keith (Voltron), Houen-chihou | Hoenn Region (Pokemon), M/M, Pining, Pokemon Battles, Shinou-chihou | Sinnoh Region (Pokemon), Shiro gets wrapped in blankets 2021, so much pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:35:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28615191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ike/pseuds/Ike
Summary: Shiro had a dream: to work at the Mossdeep Space Station after graduation.That dream never came true.It's been one year since Sinnoh officials declared Takashi Shirogane deceased, but Keith hasn't given up on him.Shiro's out there, somewhere. And with the help of a familiar Pokémon, Keith's going to bring him home.
Relationships: Allura & Keith (Voltron), Allura & Lance (Voltron), Hunk & Keith & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Lance & Shiro (Voltron), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15
Collections: Voltron Secret Santa





	The One Thing Worse Than My Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> For tumblr user @sweetmacchiat0~ I noticed you drew a couple Pokémon pieces, including a Pokémon crossover (of sorts), so I thought you might like this! Sorry it's a little late, but I hope you enjoy :>
> 
> The plot is Inspired by the Sailor Eldritch quest from DPPt, with a bit of Sleeping Beauty/Maleficent (2014) in the mix.

The cool night air blew through the trees of Petalburg Woods, carrying with it the scents of flora and the sounds of Taillows singing.

Keith and Shiro walked side-by-side in silence, simply content with each other's company. The two of them wouldn't have many more nights like this, and they wanted to make the most of the ones they did.

Keith couldn't honestly say he _was_ making the most of tonight, though—not with this distance between them. They were closer than most friends would be, closer than even they would be around others, but it was still too far. He wanted to take Shiro by the hand, intertwine their fingers. He wanted to know where they stood, before it was too late.

Keith finally disturbed the quiet. "Hey, Shiro?"

"Yeah?"

It was one word, but the way he said it, it felt like Shiro turned back the clock and shone the sun on him.

"What would you say to me leading Mossdeep Gym?"

Shiro stopped walking and his shoulders tightened. "I would say if anyone can do it, it's you. Is that really what you want, though?"

Keith went ahead of him, turning back and flashing him a smile. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"There's a whole region out there—world, even—and Mossdeep is only one small town." He caught up again, close enough for Keith to hear his breathing.

"Nowhere else in the world has the space station. Nowhere else in the world has you." It was dark, but he thought he saw Shiro blush. "Besides, you know I've never liked the city."

"Working at the space station is my dream, and I'll always be grateful for the opportunity. But I don't want to hold you back from living your dream, too."

_There's no dream without you in it, Shiro._

But Keith couldn't find the courage to say that outright.

He tried to figure out how else to convince him as they ducked under a branch and parted a thicket of leaves, slipping through the edge of the forest and into their secret place.

It was a short, wooded path, with a clear spring at the end that reflected the moonlight.

But there was something else there that night—something that made him forget even the thought of moving to Mossdeep together. Curled up around the spring, sleeping, were two Pokémon. One smaller and red, one larger and blue, both with ivory bodies.

The legendary Eon Pokémon: Latias and Latios.

Shiro must have seen them too, because he stopped in his tracks and gasped softly.

The Pokémon stirred from their slumber, lifting their necks and rising several times in height.

Keith worried they would take off, but they didn't.

After a few moments of looking between each other and then the pair of humans, as if in conversation, they slowly flew toward them.

Latias hovered in front of Keith, and Latios in front of Shiro, waiting.

Shiro smirked and reached for the Ultra Ball on his belt, ready for a battle.

* * *

It's been a year since Shiro left on the back of Latios.

A year since Sinnoh police declared Takashi Shirogane deceased.

In the eyes of the region, one of the brightest stars in the galaxy—the youngest person ever accepted into Mossdeep's prestigious space program—became a news story.

To them, it was a sad day. To Pidge and Hunk, the loss of a friend. But to Keith, it was like his heart was stolen from his chest and drowned at sea.

_There's no dream without you in it, Shiro._

He remembers waking up that day with dread in the pit of his stomach. It was the longest Shiro had gone without calling him since leaving on his expedition, and he longed to hear his voice again. So when his PokéNav finally rang, relief washed over his entire body.

Until he saw the call wasn't from Shiro.

From that day, things were never the same. Shiro's absence touched every part of his life.

His grades were the first thing to go. He went from one of the top students at the Trainers' Academy in Rustboro to nearly failing out. Only when he was threatened with expulsion did he return from searching for Shiro abroad. And even then, he still took the ferry to Sinnoh whenever he could, until he no longer had enough money for it.

Next was his reputation. Keith was never exactly a social butterfly, but it wasn't until Shiro went missing that he started distancing himself from his friends, and even getting into fights—not Pokémon battles, but actual fights. Pidge and Hunk only remained by his side through his worst hours because they felt the same pain as him, to some small extent.

And now, he was losing his future.

Keith, Pidge, and Hunk sat under the setting sun by the lake bordering Rustboro City, their feet in the water.

His friends are animatedly talking about their careers now that they'd graduated, laughing and looking up at the sky.

Pidge was offered a paid internship in the Devon Corporation's R&D Department, right here in Rustboro. Hunk was moving to Lilycove for his new job as a Pokéblock chef—sorry, _sous_ chef. And Keith…

"Keith, are you there?" Pidge asks, waving a hand in his face.

He tries to snap back to reality, making a poor show of it. "Yeah, that sounds like fun, Pidge."

Hunk sighs. "You haven't even been listening, have you?"

He rubs the back of his neck. "Sorry. Had something on my mind."

"You always have something on your mind these days, man."

Pidge frowns. "Have you even thought about what you want to do after graduation?"

"Yeah. That's…what's been on my mind."

"Oh?" Her eyes widen. "What're you planning?"

"I've been saving up from my job, and I was thinking—"

They're already staring at him with disappointed expressions, like they can tell what's coming.

Keith knows they're only concerned about him, but his nostrils still flare, irritated. "What? I finally have the time and the money to look for him. Do you expect me to leave Shiro to die?"

"He's alread dead!" Pidge snaps. Her face immediately burns and she looks down at the water. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

Hunk's voice is quiet when he speaks. "She's right, Keith. His boat drifted to the shore in pieces, and no one's seen him in a year. It's time to give up on him."

He doesn't need Hunk to tell him the details; he's run through them in his mind a thousand times. He left out the part where the only evidence they recovered was a memento from Keith tied to the sail, a good luck charm he made from a Shoal Shell.

"I'm _never_ giving up on him," Keith says, glaring. "He wouldn't have given up on me. Besides, there's nothing else for me here."

Pidge pushes her glasses up her nose. "That's what we wanted to talk to you about, actually…Acxa retired as the leader of Lavaridge Gym."

The words have barely left her mouth when Keith shoots them out of the air. "No."

"At least hear what we have to say!" Hunk says.

"Why—so you can convince me to abandon my best friend?"

Hunk looks at him, pleading, and there's real hurt in his eyes.

Keith sighs and crosses his arms over his chest, but he's listening.

"You wanted to be a Gym Leader before Shiro went missing, right?" Hunk asks.

"Exactly— _before_."

He ignores his protest, continuing on. "And you're already good with Fire-type Pokémon, aren't you?"

That part's true; he's very proud of his Blaziken and Houndoom. His only Pokémon who isn't Fire-type—Scizor—was traded to him by Shiro.

"You don't have to accept the position," Pidge says, "but will you at least go the tournament?"

Keith is still silent, gently swinging his legs back and forth in the water. Even he knows he's being petulant.

"We're your friends too, you know," Hunk says, a slight crack in his voice, "and we're asking you to do this."

Despite the label he used, Shiro is much more than a friend to Keith—he doesn't even think there's a word to describe what he means to him. But Hunk has a point: they're his friends, and in their eyes, they're only doing what they think is best for Keith. He owes it to them to at least take their feelings into consideration.

"Fine. I'll go to the tournament, but I'm not promising anything."

* * *

It came down to him and one other trainer—James.

James put up a good fight, but as expected, Keith won and was asked to be leader of Lavaridge Gym.

Pidge and Hunk were overjoyed to hear the news at first, but their spirits quickly fell when he told them he requested the weekend to think about it.

It's already Sunday night, and in the morning, they'll be expecting an answer from him.

He slips out of the house on Route 104 where he lives alone, treading the path to the forest; walking through Petalburg Woods always clears his head.

Before, it was because Shiro was there to calm him down and show him what he wanted most in life. Now, it's the memory of Shiro, the ghost whose hand he still wants to hold, that leads him where he needs to be. Every time he comes here he's reminded of him, and tonight's no different. If he closes his eyes, he can almost imagine him at his side once more.

The day he no longer has to imagine will be the happiest of his life.

His muscle memory carries him to the spring in their secret place, hugging his knees to his chest and staring at his reflection. He closes his eyes again and tries to picture Shiro's face next to his, looking back at him from the water.

But when he opens them, it's not Shiro he sees.

There's a woman in the reflection, and the sight makes him jump back, kicking up some leaves that break the surface of water.

"Did I frighten you?"

Keith clutches his chest and exhales. "Yeah, you could say that."

She laughs. "Sorry about that."

He's never seen another human here besides Shiro—the closest thing was the Eon duo. Taking a better look at the woman, he realizes he's never seen her at all, actually. She has white hair contrasting her dark skin, and markings on her cheeks. She's beautiful. He'd definitely remember her if she was a local.

"Did you follow me?" he asks.

"I was out for a walk and saw you come in here."

He doesn't remember seeing anyone, or even hearing her come up behind him—and he has pretty sharp senses. She doesn't seem dangerous, though. He can't pin it, but there's something familiar about her.

"Keith," he says, extending his hand to her.

She shakes it. "Allura. So, what are you doing out here, Keith?"

He raises his eyebrows, but she simply sits down and crosses her legs, waiting for him to go on.

"Trying to decide whether to take a job or not."

"Oh? What's the job?"

"Gym Leader."

"That's a pretty coveted position." She leans back on her hands, looking up at the stars. "Why would you not want it?"

It's a little weird talking about his problems to a stranger in the woods, but something about the way she carries herself makes him want to keep going—and it feels nice talking about it with someone other than his friends.

"Well…it would mean giving up a chance to look for the most important person in the world to me."

She's quiet for a moment. "This person—they're missing?"

He nods. "For a year now. I wouldn't've even considered it, but if he really is gone, I know he'd want me to keep living my life."

"Do you believe he's still out there?"

He thinks it over for a moment. "Everyone keeps telling me he's not, but…yeah. I know he's alive, somewhere. He has to be."

"In that case…it seems to me like your choice is clear."

He chuckles. "I guess you're right. Might only end in more heartbreak, but I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't at least try."

A long silence passes between them.

"Keith…we've actually met before."

He tenses up, and his head spins with questions. Who is this woman, and why was she pretending not to know him?

He's about to reach for a Poké Ball in case he needs to defend himself, when Allura's body shines with a white glow.

Right before his eyes, she transforms into a Latias. She circles around in the air and hovers over the spring, the moonlight casting a glowing silhouette.

It's her.

That day, she got away. Keith wasn't strong enough, wasn't _good_ enough to defeat her. Maybe if he had been, they would've taken off into the sky together, and things would've turned out differently.

But Latios accepted Shiro as a worthy partner, and Latias flew away on her own. To Keith's knowledge, neither of them saw her again—until now.

She floats back to the ground and shifts, the strange girl he met in the woods once more.

His mouth is half open, trying to figure out what to ask first.

Allura's the first to speak, though. "Normally, Lance—Latios, as you know him—can use telepathy to locate people. But for the past year, he hasn't been able to find Shiro."

Keith thinks he might've heard his heart breaking in his ears. He's about to demand to know what that means when she continues.

"Just like you, though, he never gave up on Shiro. He flew all over looking for him, and now…"

She reaches her hands out to Keith, nodding to encourage him.

He's fighting back questions and tears alike, but he steps forward and takes her hands anyway.

"Close your eyes."

He does as she says, and rather than the familiar blackness, there's something else behind his eyelids.

There's Shiro.

He's laying down in a forest not unlike this one, resting against a tree and shuttered in moonbeams. There's a pained expression on his face, but he's alive—Keith watches the movement of his chest to make sure.

Allura takes her hands away, and the vision disappears.

Keith's eyes snap up to hers. "What was that? Is—is he really…?"

"That was Sight Sharing, an ability of Latios. And yes, Shiro is alive. Lance finally found him earlier today."

He exhales, and it's like he's remembered how to breathe all over again. He doesn't trust what he saw entirely, but even as that voice in his head tells him not to get his hopes up…he knows, just like he's known all along. He never gave up on Shiro, and now he doesn't have to.

But he can't rest easy yet. That look on Shiro's face is still ringing in his mind like a gunshot, bleeding out the relief he's found. "What was wrong with him?"

She knits her eyebrows, deeply concerned. "That's what we need your help with. We found him sleeping on an island and haven't been able to wake him since. We tried everything we could think of, but it appears he's been afflicted with some sort of nightmare."

His heart was rescued from the sea, and now it's being crushed in his hand. To learn that Shiro's alive after a year, but that he's been suffering all that time… All he wants is to hold him and make everything go away.

"What can I do?"

"Come with me to see Shiro. Lance was thinking about flying him to the nearest city, but he wanted you to see him first. He knows what you mean to him."

_What I…mean to Shiro?_

He nods. "I'm in."

"I thought you'd say that," she says, smiling. "I'm not as fast as Lance, but we can still be there by daybreak. I told him he should pick you up, but he insisted on staying by Shiro's side."

He chuckles. "Can't say I blame him. I'd do the same thing."

Allura transforms back into Latias, and Keith hears her voice in his head.

**Let us away.**

He climbs on top of Latias, holding onto her neck. "Can we make a quick stop first?"

* * *

It's past two a.m. when Pidge is awoken by the sound of banging on the window.

Who the heck came knocking at this hour? …Actually, forget who, _how_ are they doing it? Their dorm is on the sixth floor.

Hunk rouses from his sleep on the other end of the room, groaning and rubbing his eyes. "Whoz'at?"

She shrugs, pulling off the covers and squinting out the window.

Clearly she needs to put on her glasses, because it looks like Keith is outside their window, flying on top of a Latias. She reaches for them on her nightstand and slides them on.

…Nope, it actually is Keith flying on top of a Latias.

Hunk shrieks, evidently having seen it as well.

Keith bangs again while they both stand there gaping like Magikarp, and she scrambles over to the window, opening it wide.

"What are you doing, Keith?!"

"No time to explain, Shiro needs me. Just wanted to let you know I might be gone for a while. Oh, and can you call the folks at Lavaridge and let them know James can have the position?"

Before she can even _begin_ to process that statement, Keith waves goodbye and jets off into the night sky.

* * *

They'd be flying among the clouds right now, but there aren't any out tonight, allowing them a clear view of the stars.

He's only ever flown on rental Pokémon, and only for transportation—nothing like this.

Is this what he saw that summer, traveling around the world on Latios? Maybe this view is even why he wanted to be an astronomer. Spending your days studying the heavens…after tonight, that doesn't sound so bad. Not that it's for Keith—he'll have to take the time to figure out what life he wants for himself. Whatever he does decide though, he knows who he wants by his side.

He tries to relax by watching the land and sea pass by, but has little luck. There's too much on his mind, and this far above the Earth, sleep is out of the question.

"Hey, Allura?"

**Yes?**

"Why did Lance spend all this time looking for Shiro?"

**I'd think you of all people would understand.**

Is she…teasing him? A smile tugs at his lips. "Really, though. I want to know."

**Our species normally stay away from humans, but there was something different about Shiro. He could sense it from the day they met.**

Yep, that sounds like Shiro.

**And besides that, he felt…responsible for what happened to him.**

Keith frowns. "Responsible? How?"

**He sensed that another Latios in his herd was in danger, so he parted ways with Shiro. But while he was gone, he felt an even greater distress signal—from Shiro. He tried to reach out to him, but it was too late. He couldn't sense anything from him after that.**

He's suddenly reminded how cold the wind is up here.

**Please don't be angry with him.**

"Don't worry, I'm not—only with myself."

* * *

True to her word, they reach the island right as day beaks.

From above, it's shaped like a crescent moon. Down below, he can make out a shade-filled clearing beneath the treetops, a small pond in its center.

There's another island in the distance, but right now, the only thing he can think about is Shiro.

He jumps off Latias before they even land, rushing to his side. She roosts behind him, changing forme.

"Shiro…"

He's sleeping against a tree, exactly as he was in the vision. Keith's never seen something so beautiful but so heartbreaking at the same time: Shiro's perfect features, twisted in the pain of a nightmare. He never wanted to see him like this.

He kneels down and takes Shiro's face in his hand. His skin's grown cold. He was always so warm—the only thing that thawed the ice in Keith's veins after his dad died.

He lowers his hand to his heart, feeling for its beat. It's fast, unsteady, but it's there.

If Shiro wasn't in pain, he'd want nothing more than to lay his head over his heart and drift off to sleep with him, feeling the rise and fall of his breath just to know he's alive. But until he's recovered, Keith won't know a moment's rest.

And he's not the only one.

"Can you fix him?"

Keith looks up, and there's another boy who looks around his age standing next to him, with brown hair and similar markings on his cheeks as Allura. He must be Latios' human forme, Lance. Keith was so distracted by Shiro, he didn't even notice there was anyone else with them.

"I'm not sure how, but I'll do whatever it takes—I swear."

From Lance's face, it's obvious that isn't what he wanted to hear. And he gets it; in truth, Keith was hoping Lance would have found a way to wake him by the time he came. Looks like he doesn't know any more about the situation than Keith, though.

He looks for anything on Shiro's person that might help them, and spots the Poké Balls on his belt. He detaches them one by one and throws them into the clearing.

But as he thought, Skarmory, Absol, and Metagross are all asleep, and all of them have that same painful look on their faces. He calls them back into their balls and fixes them back in place on Shiro's belt with a sigh.

"The only thing we can do is take him to Snowpoint City and ask around," Lance says.

Allura nods. "I think that's best. Any objections, Keith?"

"Not like we're making any progress here."

Keith reaches his arm around Shiro's waist, lifting him up and carrying him on his back while Lance shifts.

"Lance, you take Shiro, and I'll take Keith."

He's about to lay Shiro onto Latios' back when a black void appears above the pond, and out floats a ghostly-looking Pokémon with white hair and a red necklace.

He doesn't know why it didn't click for him sooner. They're on Newmoon Island, the home of the mythical Pokémon Darkrai—a Pokémon known for being hostile to any who dare disturb its den.

Without wasting another second, Keith hoists Shiro onto Latios and stands in Darkrai's path. He throws out a Poké Ball containing his ace, Blaziken.

"Darkrai's not going to let you take him without a fight. You three have to escape while I distract it."

Allura shakes her head. "But, Keith—"

"Keith's right, Allura. We have to go before it's too late."

She hesitates, her gaze torn between Keith and Shiro.

"I know what we're risking, but me and my Pokémon would do anything to protect Shiro," Keith says. "Isn't that right, Blaziken?"

Blaziken shrieks his agreement, flames coming to life.

He smiles. "You heard him. Now, go."

She looks back one last time before transforming and taking to the skies with Latios.

Darkrai roars after them, and Keith takes advantage of its distraction to get in the first hit.

"Blaziken, Fire Punch!"

He dives right in, charging up a flaming fist and landing a blow on Dakrai.

It recoils, shaking off the flames, then opens its mouth wide. It fires off a Dark Pulse, the blast knocking Blaziken back. Even with the type disadvantage, Blaziken's in danger.

Keith grits his teeth, already feeling guilty for dragging his Pokémon into this. He didn't want to have to use this move, considering the risk if it misses, but… "High Jump Kick!"

Blaziken launches forward with his foot, but as Keith feared, Darkrai dodges out of the way. While he suffers the recoil, it counters with Dark Void. Within moments, Blaziken's fallen asleep with that same expression as Shiro's Pokémon.

It's no use trying an Awakening—Darkrai would only knock him out right after. He calls him back into his ball and sends out Houndoom, hoping this time things will go better.

They don't. Houndoom hits Darkrai with a single Flamethrower before being put to sleep. This time he does use the Awakening, but it has no effect. Whatever Darkrai is putting them in, it's not a normal sleep.

Keith holds his last Poké Ball tight in silent prayer.

He was only a Scyther when Shiro traded him to Keith, but he loved Shiro the way all his Pokémon did. For a while there, anytime Keith let him out of his ball, he would run back to Shiro and tug at him with his claws, pleading for him to take him back.

Eventually he grew to love Keith just as much, but he knows he still wants to see Shiro again. For that to happen though, they both need to give it their all here.

"Scizor, Double Team!"

Scizor moves rapidly back and forth, creating afterimages in a circle all around Darkrai. It tries to hit him with Dark Void, but misses.

Keith smirks. "Now, Swords Dance!"

His wings vibrate as he dances through the clearing, and his body glows with power.

Darkrai shoots another Dark Pulse, but this attack misses as well.

Everything's ready—now, all they need to do is go on offense. "Metal Claw!"

Scizor dashes forward with hardened claws and slashes, the sound of the impact ringing through the air. It was a clean hit, and Darkrai is clearly close to being knocked out.

But this time, Dark Void finds its mark, and Keith's last Pokémon is down for the count. Just like that, their chances of winning disappear. He calls him back into his ball and backs away, preparing to meet the same fate as his Pokémon.

His only thoughts are of Shiro—that he might be safe, even without Keith there to protect him.

But he's saved from that fate by Latios. He flies in behind Keith, picking him up in his mouth by the collar and throwing him over onto his back.

Keith slips and struggles to hold on after being tossed through the air, but there's no time to get comfortable. Latios tucks in his wings and takes off while Darkrai lets loose a Dark Pulse. Latios circles around the beam and breaks through the treetops, speeding off.

Once they're safely away from the island, Keith relaxes his grip on Latios and sighs. "I owe you one, Lance."

**I did it for Shiro—he wouldn't survive losing you.**

_He…wouldn't?_

**And besides, I still need your help with him.**

"Well, regardless of why you did it, thanks. And thanks for always having Shiro's back."

**I haven't always.**

"Allura told me what happened—it wasn't your fault, Lance. You did your best."

**If I did my best, Shiro wouldn't have ended up like this.**

They're quiet the rest of the flight. Thankfully, it's not a long one. The temperature rapidly drops as they approach Snowpoint City, Latios decreasing their altitude to stay warm.

They land near a house at the edge of the city, buried in snow and enclosed in pine trees.

Keith wraps his arms around himself, shivering in the cold. Lance doesn't seem bothered by it, strangely enough—maybe it's a Pokémon thing.

"I can feel Allura's presence in there," Lance says. "Shiro's probably inside, too."

"Did you not drop Shiro off?"

"Nope. I sensed you were in danger, so I gave him to Allura and came back."

In hindsight, that should have been obvious; Keith wasn't battling Darkrai long enough for Lance to come all the way here and back. But he's still a little surprised he let go of Shiro to come rescue him.

They trudge through the snow and find Shiro laying on the lone bed in the house, wrapped in a swaddle of blankets. Allura's sitting in a chair at his side, watching intently with her hands folded under her chin.

The sound of crackling fire and a log overturning on the other end of the room catch Keith's attention. There's a Galra man with a long braid tending the fireplace, hunched over and bathed in shadow.

He stands and turns to face them. "I take it you're Keith and Lance?" he asks, looking at them as he says their names.

Allura notices them as well, and her face softens.

"Yes, sir," Keith says.

"Yo."

The Galra crosses the room and shakes each of their hands. "Kolivan."

Keith looks over at Shiro. "How's he doing?"

"He's stable, for now," Allura says. "The nightmares haven't stopped, but we're keeping his temperature up. We're very fortunate Kolivan agreed to take him in."

Kolivan chuckles. "He's the fortunate one, having someone like you to look out for him. This young lady made quite the scene, carrying a man through town and asking if anyone knew how to 'break a nightmare from Darkrai.'"

Keith will have to remember to thank her later, but there's a more pressing matter. "Kolivan, sir—"

"Please, just Kolivan."

Keith has to hold down his irritation at being interrupted over a triviality while Shiro is laying there in pain. He knows he's indebted to this man, but—

He takes a deep breath and continues. "Kolivan. Does the fact you took him in mean you know something that can help?"

He nods. "That I do. I wanted to wait until you were all here."

"Please, tell us!" Keith's eyes are pleading, desperate.

Allura and Lance are leaning in as well, anxious.

"Very well. There's only one known remedy for your friend's ailment: a Lunar Feather from the legendary Pokémon Cresselia."

 _Cresselia, Cresselia…_ Keith runs through his lessons at the Trainers' Academy in his head until he finds a match.

Cresselia, the other half of the Lunar duo with Darkrai, said to reside on Fullmoon Island.

He flashes back to the other island he saw before landing. That must be the one.

"Thank you. I promise I'll find a way to repay you."

"Don't worry about it, my child." Kolivan looks like he has something else to say, but he hesitates, glancing between Allura and Lance. "Can I speak to Keith…alone?"

Both of them look reluctant to leave Shiro.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of him," Keith says.

Allura rests a hand on his shoulder as she walks by, exiting outside with Lance. Keith takes her place by Shiro's side, gazing at him and checking to see if he's still warm.

Kolivan clears his throat, and Keith pulls back, blushing. "Sorry. You wanted to talk to me?"

"It's about your friend here."

Panic creeps back into his voice. "What is it?"

"It's only a legend, but…I've heard there's one other requirement to waking them up."

* * *

Keith walks out of the house with a still-swaddled Shiro on his back, his pace fast and his face burning.

Lance sets down the snowball he had aimed at Allura. "Is everything okay?"

He doesn't meet Lance's eyes. "Everything's fine. Can we get going already?"

Allura and Lance share a confused look, but shrug it off.

The two of them change formes, and Keith helps Shiro onto Latios. "Be careful with him, okay?"

Latios' tone is playful. **Who do you think you're talking to?**

Keith climbs onto Latias, and she cranes her neck to look at him. **Where to?**

"Fullmoon Island; the sister island of where we found Shiro."

They both nod their understanding—it's not far off from Newmoon Island and has the same crescent shape, so it can't be hard to figure out where he's referring to.

They take off, flying through the air at a cruising speed so Shiro doesn't fall off. Keith asks Latias to fly under Latios anyway, so that he's ready to catch Shiro if necessary. Latios is a little offended by the slight to his flying skills, but he ultimately understands after how long he spent worrying about Shiro.

They reach the island before long, and find it to be not much different from the other one. The open treetops allow for more light and an easier landing, but it's otherwise like looking at Newmoon Island in a mirror. Keith is afraid Darkrai will float through that mirror and come to take Shiro from him.

Lance lays Shiro's head in his lap while Keith approaches the pond in the middle of the clearing.

"Cresselia?!" Keith calls out. "Where are you? I know you're here, so show yourself!"

Allura reaches a hand out to him. "Keith, maybe that's not such a—"

Too late.

The water in the pond begins to take shape, rising as it forms the body of Cresselia. A yellow belly and cresent-shaped ornaments on her head give way to a blue back and pink arc-like wings. She would be a sight to see if she didn't look so angry.

As soon as she's taken shape, she fires crescent beams at Keith.

He jumps back, narrowly dodging the explosions. "Lance! Take Shiro to safety!"

"Already on it!" Lance says, helping Shiro to his feet and carrying him through the trees.

Allura steps in front of Keith, and her body flares with light.

**I will lend you my strength as Pokémon and trainer this once.**

He nods. "Thank you, Allura."

**Thank me by leading us to victory.**

He remembers her moves from when they fought, so as long as nothing's changed, he should be all right. He acts fast, before Cresselia can attack again. "Mist Ball, now!"

Latias charges up, and a cloud of misty down gathers around Cresselia and buffets her.

She breaks out of the cloud and fires an Aurora Beam, the prismatic ray knocking Latias back.

Keith winces. He wants to stop and heal her, but if he does that after every attack, they'll never get a hit in. "Dragon Pulse!"

Latias shoots right back, blasting Cresselia with pure energy. She's getting weak, but the battle's not over yet.

Cresselia glows, and the air around her vibrates in waves. Nothing happens at first, but Keith knows there's a Future Sight attack on the way.

Luckily, Latias knows just the move for that.

"Use Wish!"

Latias nods and gathers her strength, summoning a star that flies overhead.

Cresselia responds in kind with Moonlight, bathing the pond in radiance and restoring her health.

The Future Sight hits, and Latias cries out in pain from the psychic force constricting around her. A moment later though, the star she called falls to the ground, healing her.

"Are you all right?"

**I'll be fine. It's Shiro's life that's at stake here.**

"You're right—sorry. Zen Headbutt!"

Latias spirals forward, glowing with purple light and tackling Cresselia.

Cresselia recovers and flies into the air, launching those same crescent beams she did at Keith. But this time, they land, dealing heavy damage and knocking Latias to the ground. One more hit, and she'll be out. Thankfully, the same looks to be true of Cresselia.

"You think you can handle one more attack?"

**Yes. Now hurry!**

"Mist Ball!"

Mist descends upon the clearing once more, obscuring the battlefield from Keith's view. He prays this will be enough, because if not, they're done for.

When the mist finally fades away, Cresselia has fallen into the water, defeated.

Keith breaths a sigh of relief, then retrieves a Hyper Potion from his bag, spraying it on Latias' injuries.

"Is that better?"

She shifts back into her human forme and stretches her sore limbs. "Much."

He smiles softly at her. "Thanks again, Allura. You really came through there." He stands and turns his attention to the other Pokémon. "Cresselia—"

"Let me talk to her," Allura says. "I don't think she's your biggest fan."

An objection dies on his lips, and he stands back, brooding.

Allura wades into the pond and kneels in front of her.

He can't hear anything, but she must be communicating telepathically, because Cresselia's rearing her head and responding with cries.

After a minute or so, she steps back as Cresselia rises into the air and materializes a Lunar Feather in front of her.

She takes it in her hands while Cresselia flies away, disappearing into the afternoon sky.

She returns and holds it out to Keith, and he accepts. It glows a beautiful green, and it's light, so light he's worried even the gentle breeze here will blow it away.

"What did you say to convince her?"

"Oh, nothing." Allura folds her hands behind her back and leans forward. "Just that it was to help the man you're in love with."

The color drains from his face. What if Cresselia tells all her friends? He'll never be able to look a legendary Pokémon in the face again.

Lance emerges from the treeline, carrying Shiro in his arms. He left the blankets behind. "Do you have the feather?"

For a minute there, he actually forgot he was holding the cure to Shiro's affliction. He spent so long dreaming of this (well, not this _exactly_ ), that now that it's a reality, it still feels like a dream.

But it's real. After all this time, they'll be together again.

Allura sees the look on Keith's face, like Lance is holding the stars, and clears her throat. "Why don't we leave these two alone, Lance?"

He nods and reluctantly lays Shiro on the grass, looking over his shoulder as he leaves the clearing with Allura.

Keith places the Lunar Feather on Shiro's chest. His pulse quickens and his eyes widen in anticipation. This is it—it's finally happening.

…Or rather, nothing's happening.

He doesn't understand. He has the feather, why isn't it working? Why isn't Shiro coming back to him?

Kolivan's words echo in his head, and his face heats up again.

That was just an old wives' tale, wasn't it? He can't really be expected to…

No. He swore he would do whatever it takes. If that means kissing Takashi Shirogane, then that's what he'll do.

He takes a deep breath and leans down toward Shiro.

_This isn't how I thought the first time would be._

He presses his lips to Shiro's in a chaste kiss. They're softer than he ever imagined. At first, there's still nothing happening, beyond Keith's heart beating out of his chest.

Then a warm glow spreads from the feather, enveloping Shiro's body.

Their lips are still together when Shiro's eyes open. And then, he closes them again.

Keith is afraid Shiro's fallen back asleep, but he hasn't.

The second best moment of Keith's life was kissing Shiro, but the best was Shiro kissing him back.

It may not have been how he pictured it, but it was perfect all the same.

* * *

After waking up their Pokémon (as it turns out, true love's kiss doesn't have to be on the lips—the forehead works just as well), they flew back to Rustboro in secret. They'll tell everyone the news tomorrow, but tonight is theirs.

They're back at the spring in Petalburg Woods, laying under the stars like they always had. Only this time, there's no distance. Shiro leans his head on Keith's shoulder, and their fingers intertwine.

"I know what I want to do now," Keith says.

"Yeah?" Shiro nuzzles into his neck.

"I want to travel the world with you."

He looks surprised. "Can we really do that?"

Keith chuckles. "Why not? The space station already waited a year for you, they can wait another." He blushes, adding, "That is, if that's what you want."

Shiro's quiet for a long whille, and Keith is once again afraid he's fallen asleep—it'll probably be a while before he gets over that.

But then Shiro rolls on top of him, holding himself up with his arms and gazing into Keith's eyes. "I realized something while we were apart. The space station may be my dream job, but it's not my dream."

He slowly leans down, pressing a soft kiss to Keith's lips.

"You are."


End file.
